The UK Data Service has launched a new impact theme, Local communities in data, showcasing how national datasets can be used to better understand and strengthen communities across the UK.
The theme brings together a wide range of UK Data Service-enabled research, case studies, blog posts and data resources to explore how community life is shaped through three connected lenses: place, people and safety.
Each dataset, blog post and case study featured in the theme offers a different perspective on local communities – from how people move through public spaces, to how they participate in civic life, to how safety and harm are experienced across different settings and groups. By connecting these different stories, the theme builds a richer, more joined-up picture of community life and the factors that shape it.
The theme also shows how this evidence aligns with current UK Government priorities to improve communities, including the Safer Streets Mission and the Pride in Place agenda. This alignment is explored in more detail in an accompanying blog post, which highlights how national data contributes to these policy agendas.
A range of national surveys and longitudinal studies, accessed through the UK Data Service, underpin these insights, including:
· The Annual Population Survey
· The National Travel Attitudes Study
· The Crime Survey for England and Wales
· The British Social Attitudes Survey
Together, these datasets provide insight into different aspects of people’s experiences, behaviours and environments, helping to explain how communities function and where challenges and inequalities persist.
Explore Local communities in data to see how national data is being used to understand, support and strengthen communities across the UK.